Update (Dec. 16) After 10 days without a response from the university, I sent a follow-up note to Dr. Cannon today.

Dear Dr. Cannon,

Ten days ago, 60 U of C alumni and 25 others including current U of C students and staff as well as supporters from across Canada and abroad sent an open letter asking the University of Calgary to respond to Dr. Tom Flanagan’s remarks advocating for the murder of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange on the November 30 broadcast of the CBC’s Power & Politics with Evan Solomon (the letter and the original e-mail are attached below).

While noting that Dr. Flanagan had apologized, we asked that the University of Calgary distance itself publicly from Dr. Flanagan’s remarks (which it has done, albeit very weakly – http://www.ucalgary.ca/news/utoday/december7-2010), that it condemn Dr. Flanagan in the harshest possible terms (no progress) and that it censure Dr. Flanagan for abusing the good name of the university (no progress).

We find the university’s response to Dr. Flanagan’s remarks deeply inadequate, especially considering international press coverage which has done tremendous damage to the U of C’s reputation. Also, the U of C’s response seems incredibly weak when compared to responses from well-respected public NGOs such as International PEN, from newspaper sources including the Editorial Board of the Guardian, and from the political realm where the communications director for the Canadian Prime Minister Dmitiri Soudas found the time to condemn the remarks.

While we continue to be disappointed with the university’s position, we are deeply insulted by the absence of any response to our letter from President Cannon, her office or any other relevant body at the university. If the university does not think enough of 60-plus of its own alumni to answer a letter, then how can it expect those same alumni to stand up for the U of C within their communities or to contribute their time and resources to university endeavors?

Update (Dec. 9) The Canadian Press reports that the Toronto woman who felt threatened after receiving an e-mail from Dr. Flanagan has received an apology. Meanwhile, in the Calgary Herald, University of Calgary Law Professor Peter Bowal writes about the double standard on free speech at the university (where students are punished and sued by the university, while professors are not).

Update (Dec. 8): Complete silence from everyone at the university thus far. Meanwhile, the Globe and Mail reports that Dr. Flanagan has threatened another person. Is threatening two people in one week a fireable offence at the University of Calgary? You may wish to e-mail the accounts below to get an answer.

Update (Dec. 6): The signed final version of this letter (same as below) was sent to Dr. Cannon on December 6, 2010. A copy was also sent to the University of Calgary Chancellor, the University of Calgary Senate, the University of Calgary General Faculties Council, the University of Calgary Board of Governors, and the University of Calgary Alumni Association. This page will be updated if and when we receive a reply. Please stay tuned, and thank you all again for your signatures and your support.

Update (Dec. 4) The Calgary Herald published our letter on Saturday, December 4. We will send it to Dr. Cannon with all of your signatures on Monday at noon. If you know any fellow alumni who may wish to sign our letter, please pass it along.

Speaking on a national CBC broadcast of Power & Politics with Evan Solomon, Dr. Flanagan said: “I think that Assange should be assassinated, actually. I think that Obama should put on a contract and maybe use a drone or something.”

Dr. Flanagan’s initial remarks remain relevant to the U of C community because although debate and even harsh disagreement about the Wikileaks release are not only inevitable but perfectly natural for an open and democratic society like Canada’s, we must draw a line at advocating for political murder, something that Dr. Flanagan failed to do.

Better than most, a professor of political science should understand that academic freedom is not possible without political freedom, and that political freedom cannot survive in a climate where journalists and opponents of a ruling regime hear public intellectuals advocate for their assassination on the nightly news.

If this were a Russian, Chinese or Iranian intellectual calling for the murder of a regime opponent, Canadians would be appalled. Considering Canada’s proud tradition of political freedom, it is all the more offensive to hear an active member of the University of Calgary faculty and the former chief of staff and campaign manager for the sitting Canadian Prime Minister do the same.

The University of Calgary should distance itself publicly from Dr. Flanagan’s initial remarks, condemn Dr. Flanagan in the harshest possible terms, and censure him for abusing the good name of the university and for the damage this has done to the reputation of not only the school, but of the 150,000 alumni and the degrees they hold.

This should be done peacefully. After all, even though thousands of University of Calgary students, staff and faculty have disagreed with Dr. Flanagan’s opinions over the years, no one has publicly called for him to be murdered, even in jest.